Whispers from the BAU
by Hopeful Writer
Summary: Easier: "It was easier when JJ was there, Reid realized, easier to be strong when he was doing it for her, easier to look at these pictures and not see his sons when he knew she was compartmentalizing as well."
1. Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own _Criminal Minds_ or any of the character mentioned below.

**Author's Note: This is the first fanfiction I've written in a very long time, so I may be a bit rusty. I'm hoping to make this a series of Reid/JJ vignettes, inspired by mabelreid's Quantico Vignettes, if I have the follow-through to continue with it. For now, please enjoy this short story that's nothing like what I pictured my first _Criminal Minds_ fanfiction to be.**

_**RAIN**_

By: Hopeful Writer

It was raining and it was cold, but Reid had been standing outside for twenty-five minutes and thirteen seconds, and he didn't even notice it anymore. He stared at the number on the door until it blurred and danced in front of his eyes, the bold 371 forming shapes and patterns that only his mind could have come up with. The red brick was dull and hazy as his eyes focused past it, as if trying to see through the walls inside.

A _thud_ and a shattering glass brought him back, and his blinked his eyes to make the world click back into place. There was yelling coming from inside the house, but he couldn't make out of the words, only the angry tones. The voice was deep and accented. Not hers.

Reid shifted slightly on the balls of his feet, his first movement in sixteen minutes and twenty-three seconds, though he couldn't decide if he was moving toward the door or away from it. It didn't matter seven seconds later, when the door swung wide open and Reid came face-to-face with his bad decision.

"You!" Will thundered, shoving the screen door open and giving Reid's shoulders a hard smack that had him stumbling back onto the sidewalk. "You have some nerve, showing up here."

Reid remained silent, knowing that he deserved all this and more. He looked up at the door as Will pushed him again, and JJ's face appeared behind the screen. "Will-" she tried, but he was having none of that.

"You think you can show up at _my_ home when this whole time you've been fucking around with her behind my back?" he demanded, and Reid flinched at the expletive. "I trusted you when you said there was nothing going on. I let you into my house and into our lives. I let her make you my son's godfather, for God's sake."

Reid still didn't speak, despite the fact that Will continued to jab at his shoulders to punctuate his sentences. Six... seven... eight times, and still Reid kept his mouth shut. There was nothing he could say to make this better.

"Will, it's not his fault," JJ argued.

Will turned on her. "What, did you force him to sleep with you? Did you tie him to the bed and make him fuck you?"

"Of course not-"

"Then he's just as much at fault as you are!"

He turned back, probably to continue his attack on Reid, but the anger seemed to drain from his body until he just looked weary. He really was a pathetic sight, his face red and his hair matted to his forehead from the downpour. He regarded Reid apprehensively. "Why'd you do it, man?" he asked mournfully. "What have I ever done to you?"

Reid regarded the question for a moment, then finally answered, his voice breaking, "I love her."

"She was _mine_."

Reid nodded. "I know."

"You're a bastard."

"I know that too."

Will turned back to the screen door. "I'll come back for my stuff later. I just... I just can't be here anymore." He forced JJ to meet his eyes for a second before she looked away. "Tell Henry... tell Henry whatever you want."

Neither Reid nor JJ moved as Will unlocked his car, got in, started the engine and drove off, his headlights burning a path down the street.

Finally, _finally_, Reid turned back to look at JJ. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and he worried she wouldn't be able to hear him over the rain.

She looked tired and defeated and her mascara was streaked down her cheeks from crying and she was the most beautiful thing Reid had ever seen and he felt like an ass. "You're soaked," she told him, and for the first time he felt the rain. "Come inside."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, just like the first time they'd done this.

"What damage could it do?" she offered reasonably, and he nodded and followed her into the house.


	2. Ride

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters within.

**Author's Note: A couple people requested a sequel to Rain. Instead, I offer this as a prequel. I promise not all of these will be this angsty.**

_**RIDE  
**_By: Hopeful Writer

It had been a long day that was following a long night that was part of a long week, and Jennifer Jareau sat in her office, too exhausted to want to go home. Henry, who had been sleeping through the night, had taken to waking up every two hours, mostly for comfort. Will slept like the dead and never awoke before JJ did to take care of their son. The end result was that JJ had gotten maybe three hours of sleep each night for a week, and it was starting to affect her focus.

None of that really mattered tonight, since Will had taken Henry to New Orleans for a long weekend to see his mother. For the first time in ages, JJ would be able to get some sleep. If only she could muster up the energy to get up.

There was a soft knock on her door, and JJ blinked a few times to clear her vision before calling for whoever was on the other side to enter. The bullpen had gone dark hours ago, and she assumed the team had all gone home, except maybe Morgan, who tended to pick up some extra work so Hotch could go home and spend time with Jack.

So she was surprised when the door opened to reveal Reid on the other side. "Hey, Spence," she greeted wearily, motioning him farther inside. "I thought you'd left already."

He looked sheepish. "I forgot my keys," he admitted.

It made her smile almost despite herself. "So your eidetic memory's not infallible."

"Actually, an eidetic memory is only good for remembering the location of something, not when to remove them from that location," he explained, and she felt oddly comforted by his clinical tone. "With an eidetic memory, you have perfect recall of how a situation looks, but it has no effect on remembering to do something."

She smiled indulgently. "I was just kidding."

"Oh."

He looked awkward for a minute before she prompted, "Did you come in here for something?"

"Um, not really," he answered. "I saw your light on and was wondering what you're still doing here."

She laughed at herself a little. "I've been trying to muster up the energy to drive home for an hour."

Reid studied her face carefully, seeing the lines of exhaustion around her eyes and mouth, taking in the way her eyes were drooping and her hair was mussed just slightly. "I can give you a ride," he offered. "I can pick you up tomorrow morning so you don't have to worry about your car."

JJ was all set to decline, she really was, but the idea of not having to worry about driving was so appealing that she couldn't stop herself from saying, "That would be really great, Reid. Are you sure you don't mind?"

He looked positively eager. "Of course not. Are you ready to go?"

She surveyed the contents of her desk briefly before realizing she wasn't even seeing anything anymore. "Yeah. Let's go." She held out her hand to him, and Reid stared at it in confusion for a moment. She huffed a laugh. "Help me up."

"Oh!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, taking her bag before she could get to it. She tried to protest, but he waved her off, telling her he was afraid the weight of the bag would knock her over if she tried to put it on her shoulder.

They made their way to the elevator as JJ asked, "If you forgot your keys, how did you drive home and back?"

"I took the train to work," he explained. "When I do that, I leave my car keys at home. There's no point in carrying them if I don't need them."

"But how'd you get inside if you forgot your keys?"

"I have a spare key hidden in the car."

"How'd you get in the car?"

"It has a keypad that lets me unlock the driver's side door without a key."

"So why did you come back?"

"I forgot my keys."

JJ just stared at him for a long time, until he began to get self-conscious and squirm. "What?" he asked, rubbing his mouth like he might have something on it.

"Sometimes I really don't understand you."

JJ fell asleep during the car ride, and Reid tried to convince himself that he was only looking over at her to make sure she was alright, not because she looked so cute curled up in a ball in his passenger seat. He gently shook her awake when he pulled up in front of the condo she normally shared with Will and Henry.

Years of working with the BAU made JJ quick to awaken, and she yawned once as she sat up straighter. "Thanks so much, Spence," she said gratefully. "I'm not sure I'd have made it here in one piece. I'd probably have just slept in my office."

"Wouldn't Will have come to pick you up?"

"He's in New Orleans visiting his mom. He took Henry with him."

Reid shifted in his seat so he was facing her a little more. "Why didn't you go? I'm sure Hotch would have approved some personal days for you."

She shrugged. "I thought about it, but... I don't know." She actually did know; her dedication to her job had the been the subject of three separate arguments between her and Will in the weeks leading up to this trip. She forced a smile. "I guess I'd rather deal with serial killers than listen to his mother badger us about when we're getting married again."

Reid made a noise that could have been sympathy or understanding, but he didn't say anything else for a moment. Finally he hesitantly asked, "Do you think you will marry him?"

JJ wanted to be annoyed at him for even asking the question, but the look on his face stopped her. It was the oddest blend of sheepish, concerned and possibly even hopeful. She tried not to analyze it too hard and answered him to avoid thinking about it. "I don't know. He wants to; I know he wants to. And it's probably best for Henry to grow up with a normal family."

"Actually, did you know that 40% of marriages in the United States end in divorce?" Reid told her. "That number is the lowest it's been since the 1970s, but many studies believe that's because fewer people are getting married. There are also some statistics that suggest couples who cohabit before marriage are more prone to divorce, though this could be because those are also statistically couples who are more uncertain about their compatibility or marriage in general cohabit."

He paused for a breath, and JJ jumped in. "Is this supposed to be making me feel better?" she demanded.

Reid blinked at her. "I just meant that even if you and Will aren't married, that doesn't mean Henry won't grow up with a normal family."

"Oh." JJ stopped and thought about that for a second. "That does make me feel better."

The smile he gave her lit up the car in the darkness, and she realized again just how beautiful he could be and how bad an idea it was to be sitting in a dark car alone with him. But though every instinct was telling her to go inside now, she settled back against the seat and smiled back at him.

"What's stopping you?" he asked her gently, trying to tell her without words that she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to.

She sighed and scrubbed her face with her hands. "I don't know. It's not that I don't want to get married. I just don't want to marry... him." She finished in a whisper, and Reid, who hated physical contact, placed his hand on her shoulder just a little awkwardly.

"Do you love him?"

The simple question took her breath away. She wanted to say _of course_. She wanted to say _he's the sweetest man I've ever met_. She just wanted to say _yes_.

What came out was, "He's Henry's father."

To her ears it sounded weak, and she could tell by the look on Reid's face that it sounded weak to him too. She tried to recover. "He's... he's a great guy, and he loves me, and I never have to worry about anything when I'm with him, and he loves Henry so much-"

Reid cut her off with a raised eyebrow, but he didn't say anything as she fell silent. After a few minutes of quiet, she blinked first. "I don't love him," she admitted quietly.

"You should tell him that," Reid advised mildly. "It's not fair to him if you don't."

She snorted. "Why do you care anyway? You don't even like Will."

She wondered if she imagined him flinching. "I care about _you_," he answered, the words tumbling off his tongue so quickly she was surprised she understood them all. "And I like Will just fine. I just think it's not fair to either of you to be in a one-sided relationship."

"It's easy with him," JJ admitted. "I know how he feels about me. He's never hidden it. It's... safe. Putting myself back out there is scary."

"But you're not afraid of anything. Except the woods."

JJ outright laughed at that. "I'm afraid of _everything_," she insisted. "Picking the wrong cases, picking the wrong man, not giving Henry everything he deserves, giving him too much, being a horrible friend, being a horrible _girlfriend_. You name it, I'm probably afraid of it."

Reid had to absorb that for a moment. "You're not as afraid as I am," he challenged.

She couldn't stop the stupid smile from gracing her lips at that. "Bet I am," she retorted, and he was grinning back.

"You're not afraid of the dark."

"You're not afraid of the woods."

"You're not afraid of needles."

"You're not afraid of spiders."

"You're not afraid of dogs."

"Yes, I am," JJ insisted. "You're not afraid of a little boy."

"Yes, I am. Lots of them actually." She laughed at that. He turned serious. "You're not afraid of you."

She frowned. "You're afraid of me?"

He nodded, biting his lip and looking away. "You... you're so perfect. You're strong and brave and an amazing shot, but you're also vulnerable and sweet and you care so much about other people and... I just... I just want you to like me."

"I _do_ like you."

"No, JJ, I want you to _like_ me."

It wasn't like it was entirely unexpected. She'd known for a long time that he had a crush on her, since well before he'd asked her out all those years ago. She'd even known that she wasn't nearly as apathetic to his feelings as she'd pretended to be (since, at the time, she hadn't been with the BAU _that_ long, and she was nervous about breaking fraternization rules). But she'd never expected to be in a place where all this would come out.

She took a deep breath. It was her call. She could end this right now, walk about and make everything go back to normal. Or she could dive in.

"Spence, I do."

He gaped at her, and she couldn't stop herself from reaching out and closing his mouth with one hand. Nor could she stop herself from following that hand with her head and pressing her lips against his. At which point it became impossible to stop herself from running that hand through his hair and pulling him close and holding on like he would disappear if she let go.

"Wow," he whispered when they separated.

JJ took a deep breath, giving nothing away while she made another decision. "Come inside," she said softly.

Reid sucked in a breath. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"No," she answered honestly. She met his eyes and held them.

"Okay," he said, and he let her lead him into the house.


	3. Football

Disclaimer: I don't own _Criminal Minds_ or the Washington Redskins.

**Author's Note - I finally managed to write one that isn't angsty. In fact, I'd say it's downright fluffy in some parts, and generally filled with warm team goodness.**

_**FOOTBALL  
**_By: Hopeful Writer

"Reid!" Morgan greeted as Spencer pulled open his front door. "Nice place."

Reid grinned a little as he stepped back to allow Morgan entrance, pride for his new house showing through despite his best intentions. "We're happy with it."

Morgan shoved a case of beer at him and situated the other one he'd brought more evenly in both arms. "Where's the kitchen?"

"Through here." Reid led the way. "You're the first one here, but I think-"

He was cut off when the doorbell rang again. "-Emily is almost here," he finished. He and Morgan shoved their beers onto the counter and went back to the front door.

It wasn't just Emily who was there; Garcia was standing next to her, and Hotch and Rossi were climbing out of Hotch's car at the foot of the driveway. "Hey, Sweet Pea!" Garcia said, pulling Reid down to kiss his cheek, which made him blush.

"What, no love for me?" Morgan demanded, hands on his hips.

Garcia winked at him. "That's not suitable for public consumption, Stud." He laughed and gave her a hug.

"Where's JJ?" Emily asked, struggling with the bags full of chips and pretzels she'd been commissioned to bring. Reid took a few to help her.

"She's still getting dressed."

"The game starts in 20 minutes!" Morgan protested. "She'll miss kick off."

"Trust me," Reid replied, "she won't miss kick off."

He let Hotch and Rossi in and led everyone back to the kitchen to sort out the food and drinks they'd brought. Morgan had brought the beers, and Emily the chips. Garcia had been in charge of some "chick alcohol" as she put it, which consisted of wine coolers and hard lemonade. Hotch had picked up some baked goods for dessert, and Rossi had brought a huge platter of ribs for halftime.

Reid had made chocolate mousse, JJ's favorite. "I didn't know you could cook," Emily said, looking a little awed as she tentatively sniffed the mousse.

He shrugged awkwardly. "I basically raised myself after... after my father left," he pointed out, not making eye contact with anyone. "Besides, cooking is just chemistry. Add the right ingredients to cause the right reactions and you'll get the results you want."

There was a beat of silence before Rossi argued, "That depends on who's adding the ingredients." He nodded at Hotch, whose culinary failings were notorious, and the whole team laughed.

Emily took another sniff of the mousse. "This smells really good. Can we start with this?"

They laughed again. "Are you kidding?" Reid demanded. "JJ will never forgive me if we open it without her."

Morgan clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Someone wants to get lucky tonight."

Reid made a face at him, resolutely refusing to blush. "Trust me, my odds of getting lucky tonight are directly correlated to how well the Redskins play today."

"Trust _me_, Boy Wonder," Garcia interjected. "From the way JJ talks about you, you don't have to worry about getting lucky."

This time, Reid couldn't stop himself from blushing. "Garcia!"

"What? Can I help it if she tells us all about how good you are in bed and how big your-"

"GARCIA!"

Once they were all comfortably settled with drinks and chips, Reid decided it was the best time to warm them. "Guys? There are some things you need to know about watching a football game with JJ."

Rather than look worried, he noticed various expressions of amusement on the faces of his friends, but he continued on anyway. It was better that they were prepared, even if they didn't realize it. "First off and most importantly, no one-_no one_-can root for the other team. Under penalty of being thrown out of the house without your car keys."

Morgan laughed a little. "Kid, we know she's a huge Redskins fan. None of us would come here and root for the other team."

"I don't think you can possibly comprehend just how big a Redskins fan she is," Reid argued. At Rossi's raised eyebrow, Reid continued with the rules. "Second thing, if the Redskins are losing, for any reason, do not try to comfort her. She's rage and storm and curse, but it'll be directed at the team unless someone says something about it. Then it'll be directed at you."

"Sweetie, JJ would never yell at _us_ just because her team was losing," Garcia argued.

Reid shook his head. "Trust me. Also, if they're winning, you're not allowed to say anything about how well they're playing. You'll jinx it, and if they start doing badly, it'll be your fault." He looked over what his friends were wearing. With the exception of Hotch (who had at least refrained from wearing a suit), they all either had team colors on or some Redskins paraphernalia like a shirt or a hat. He sighed with relief. Not dressing up for the games was tantamount to an act of betrayal, even he had a 'Skins shirt, but JJ would make an exception for Hotch because he never dressed up for anything (and he was their boss). At least she wouldn't find fault in anyone else.

"JJ!" Emily yelled towards the stairs. "Kick off's in 10 minutes!"

"Coming, coming!" JJ called back, as she padded downstairs and joined them in the living room.

There was a moment of dead silence while the team took her in. JJ was head to toe Redskins. She had a Redskins hat, a Redskins jersey with the number 12 emblazoned on it (in honor of Gus Frerotte, JJ's favorite quarterback who'd grown up near her hometown and had played for the Redskins from 1994-1998), gold pants, and burgundy and gold striped socks. On one wrist she wore her gold watch, on the other a burgundy spirit bracelet with REDSKINS written across it.

"Wow," Morgan muttered.

"Told you," Reid retorted under his breath.

"I'm glad you guys could come!" she greeted excitedly, plopping onto the couch between Reid and Emily. Reid couldn't help but grin a little. She might be insane, but she was awfully cute when she was in football mode.

"Couldn't miss the first game of the season," Hotch replied, which was clearly untrue since they'd missed the first game of the season every other year they'd known her, but Reid decided to let it go.

Morgan, who was on Reid's other side, whispered, "She seems normal enough."

Reid shook his head a little, trying not to alert JJ to the conversation. "Just wait."

JJ elbowed him lightly. "Shh, Spence, it's starting."

He wasn't sure why she needed him to be quiet while she was watching, but he'd learned early in their relationship not to argue with her about it.

The 'Skins were kicking off first, a long drive that bounced into the end zone and made JJ say, "Alright, boys, good kick. Now, come on, defense."

Reid refrained from saying, "I told you so," when he saw Rossi, who was next to Garcia on the smaller couch, raise an eyebrow at Hotch, who was in the armchair across the room.

JJ maintained a fairly normal facade for most of the first quarter. The 'Skins played well, but not so spectacularly that she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the game was tied at 7 when Clinton Portis fumbled the ball on the opposing team's 15 yard line.

JJ leaped to her feet, seething. "Oh, come on!" she shouted, and Reid felt Morgan shy away from her by instinct. "Your job is to carry the ball and run! How hard is that?"

"Don't worry, Jayje," Garcia tried, and Reid's head snapped in her direction. He tried to cut off her next sentence, but it was too late. "I'm sure they'll get it back."

JJ turned on her instantly. "Get it back? Get it back? That was a guaranteed field goal he just threw away. He ought to be benched for the rest of the half until he learns how to keep the damn ball in his hands."

Garcia sank down in her seat.

A few more bad plays put the Redskins down 14-7, and Reid slid over until he was practically in Morgan's lap, having learned quickly that nothing good could come from touching JJ when she was in this mood. The team wisely remained silent, except to cheer when Devin Thomas returned the kick off to the 30 yard line ("Well, that's _something_," JJ muttered darkly). Only after that did Reid feel comfortable sitting back in a normal position.

A dropped pass and a near interception in the second quarter put JJ in a funk going into halftime, but she shook it off during the break, which Reid had noticed was akin to the eye of a hurricane. She laughed and joked with Emily and Garcia (the latter of whom was still treating her cautiously), and she praised Rossi's ribs as she proceeded to devour more than should have fit in her small body. She even teased Reid by wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a rib-sauce coated kiss on his cheek. He pretended to complain about it, but he was always secretly thrilled that she was so affectionate with him in public, even if it was just around the team. JJ was a private person by nature, especially when it came to her romantic relationships, and he was a little honored that she was proud enough of him to show others how she felt.

The 'Skins got the ball back at the beginning of the third quarter with a bang, returning the kick off to the 50 yard line. A hard drive put them in the end zone, tying the score. The defense held the other team to three and out, and a solid punt return helped lead them to another quick touchdown.

Rossi made the next fatal mistake. "See? Now they're playing it right," he crowed.

"No!" JJ cried. "You'll jinx it!"

And, sure enough, a 55 yard pass put the opposing team in the end zone on the next play. JJ turned to glare at Rossi, who squirmed a little uncomfortably. He looked to Reid for help, but this time Reid couldn't help but make a face that clearly stated, "I told you so."

"If they lose, it's on your head, Rossi," JJ warned him.

"Duly noted," he replied dryly, but Reid thought he looked a little nervous.

Reid had to admit, there was something nice about watching a football game with the entire team, just a group of friends hanging out on a Sunday afternoon. Hotch brought out the desserts between the third and fourth quarters and, even though JJ was still alternating between cheering wildly and cursing like a sailor, the atmosphere felt relaxed and... homey. In the few months since they'd bought the house, Reid had been growing more and more comfortable with the idea of being part of a family. It was only today that he truly understood there was more to this part of his family than just JJ.

The Redskins scored again to tie up the game, and even he found himself getting into the spirit of the game, jumping up to cheer. JJ beamed at him, sliding her arms around his waist for just a moment to squeeze him tightly, and he hugged her back and kissed her head for a second longer than could really be considered chaste.

The Redskins defense held them to just one field goal for the rest of the fourth quarter, and they got the ball back with three and a half minutes and no time outs on the game clock. JJ was perched on the edge of the couch, and the rest of the team didn't dare speak. Reid wanted to put his hand on her back or shoulder, but he refrained for fear of tickling the sleeping dragon.

The 'Skins scored the touchdown with six seconds left on the clock, and the room erupted in screams. JJ launched herself at Reid, kissing him square on the mouth for long enough that Morgan and Garcia threw popcorn at them. Even after they pulled apart to launch their own counter attack, JJ remained snuggled into Reid's side, where he was all too happy to pull her close, even if it meant having to throw with his weaker left hand. JJ nailed Hotch with a Cheetoh to get him into the game, and shrieked when he retaliated by dumping the pretzels over her head.

When the living room looked like the pantry had thrown up, they finally called a truce. "We'll help you clean up," Garcia offered, but JJ waved them off.

"It's alright. We can handle it, right, Spence?"

He gave her a skeptical look, but shrugged when she only smirked at him. "Sure, we'll be fine. You guys go ahead."

They collected their belongings and filed out the door with cheerful goodbyes and hugs. When Reid finally closed and locked the door behind them, he flopped back onto the couch with a weary groan. JJ plopped down next to him, wincing when she heard a chip crunch underneath her. "It's exhausting having friends," she teased, fitting herself against his side again, her legs stretched across his lap.

He ran a hand over her thigh. "Mmm, probably worth it though."

"Probably."

They sat that way in silence for a few minutes before JJ kissed his neck and said, "Thank you for putting up with me. I know I get a little... tunnel-visioned."

"It's cute."

"It's obsessive."

"In a cute way." She laughed and kissed him again, because she could. "Seriously, it's no different than when I get buried in an article or a book. Except yours is a little... louder."

"And only for five months of the year."

She was quiet for so long, Reid began to worry she was falling asleep. "Come on, we need to clean up," he prodded, patting her knee, though he made no effort to get up himself.

JJ began to kiss a haphazard path around his shoulder, neck and chest. "I can think of a few things I'd rather do more," she replied, her voice just a little deeper and huskier than before.

Reid shivered involuntarily. That voice killed him every time. "We really should get this up. We'll get bugs," he protested weakly.

JJ bit just under his jaw, and he squirmed. "We'll clean it later," she promised. She slid off his lap gracefully and extended her hand. "Come on, Dr. Reid. Let me show you just how happy I am that the Redskins won."

"Hey," Reid said, letting her pull him off the couch and towards the stairs, "if you're happy, I'm happy."

JJ kissed him one more time before they made it to the bedroom and told him with a huge grin, "I love football season."

**Author's Note - I'm not a Washington Redskins fan, so all information about them was learned through various internet sources. I apologize if there are any glaring errors I missed while doing my research.**

**Also, JJ's Redskins' apparel is based off my own football outfit, worn whenever I watch my college alma mater play ball, from the jersey with my favorite former player's number (who also grew up near my hometown) to the striped socks and spirit bracelet. Fans are fans, no matter what team we root for.  
**


	4. Cooking

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

**Author's Note: Thanks to all those who've been reviewing this story. This chapter was a bit of a labor of love. For some reason, it took me far longer to write than I anticipated. Also, I don't believe Reid's cooking skills are as bad as this, but it made it more fun. The recipe included is a real chicken fried rice recipe that I wish I could take credit for but actually came from the back of a Minute Rice box. It's delicious though, and feeds enough people to take to a party.**

_**COOKING  
**_By: Hopeful Writer

"You told them _what_?"

"That you'd bring dinner for the party."

"But... but," Reid spluttered, staring at his girlfriend with wide eyes and an uncharacteristic loss of words.

"Don't worry," JJ assured him. "I'll help you. It's just fried rice, Spence. It's not that hard."

Reid glared at her. "I see you've already forgotten what I did to that pot when I tried to make spaghetti last month."

"So you need a little more practice. What's the worst that could happen? You burn another pot?"

"Kitchens are the most dangerous room in the house," Reid argued. "Approximately 18% of household accidents occur there, due to the heavy presence of sharp objects, water, and combustible items."

JJ ignored him. "You'll be fine. You won't be alone this time." She fixed him with a serious look. "You'll never be alone in the kitchen again."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Reid still looked apprehensive, but he nodded nevertheless. "Okay."

Sunday morning dawned bright and cheerful, and Reid was pleasantly warm between the comforter on his bed and the woman on his chest. JJ slept like a boa constrictor, wrapping herself around Reid as much as she could. It had been odd at first, adjusting to so much physical contact, but Reid certainly had no desire to complain. If anything, he couldn't believe a woman like JJ would want to touch him as much as she did.

There were no pressing concerns forcing him out of bed, so he laid back and enjoyed the feelings. If anyone had told him, even two months ago, that he'd be waking up to JJ in his bed, he'd have laughed at them. Well, more accurately, he'd have turned red and walked away from them, mortified beyond belief. But either way, he could barely believe his good fortune.

JJ shifted slightly, signaling her impending awakening. Reid tried not to look like he had been staring at her for fifteen minutes, but JJ's chuckle as she open her eyes and caught his expression made him believe he hadn't been as successful as he'd have liked. To avoid the conversation about how watching someone sleep was "creepy," he lifted his head slightly and kissed her as best he could.

"Mmm," she mumbled against him, kissing him back sleepily for a moment. "Good morning."

He grinned. "Good morning to you too."

She snuggled further into his chest. Reid had learned something interesting about JJ in the past six weeks. He'd learned that she would wake up like a shot if her cell phone rang, or if she fell asleep on the plane or in a car, or if they were on a case, but if she woke up by herself for no reason, she liked to take her time and hold onto that sleepy feeling as long as possible. And Reid liked to let her.

She nuzzled the soft skin at the base of his neck and breathed in. "You smell good," she commented happily. "Yummy."

"Yummy?" he echoed, confused.

"Mhmm." She sighed and buried her nose further against his skin. "Could just eat you up."

He laughed a little. "I can honestly say no one's ever said that to me before."

"Their loss." To punctuate her point, she licked the hollow of his neck, making him squirm a little.

"That's gross," he whined, and she did it again just for spite.

"That's not what you were saying last night," she teased. She was almost fully awake now, and she propped herself up on his chest to kiss him properly. He slipped a hand up the back of her (technically his) shirt and stroked her back, but she pulled away before it could get too interesting. "Come on, we need to eat breakfast. You're going to need your strength for today."

"What's today?"

"The party. We're making dinner. Come on, get up." She rolled off him and padded to the bathroom, leaving him to enjoy the view. "Get up, Spence!" she called as she shut the door.

He groaned, but pushed himself out of bed, throwing a shirt and khakis over his boxers, but forgoing his usual sweater and tie. JJ slipped out of the bathroom as he was buttoning his shirt, smelling like mint and raspberry, and kissed him again, running her hand over the exposed part of his chest and the love bite she'd left on his collarbone the night before. "I'll meet you in the kitchen," she said as she eased off, grinning a little when he tried to pull her back in.

JJ put up the coffee, and set about making herself an omelet and pouring a bowl of that sugary crap Reid ate every morning. She'd gone grocery shopping the day before to get everything they needed for the fried rice, and she mentally ran through the list of things again. It was an easy recipe, and it would probably only take them 45 minutes or so to make enough for everyone. But she wanted to get an early start in case they (Reid) messed it up.

Reid trudged down the stairs, looking like he was heading towards a firing squad instead of his own kitchen. He absentmindedly planted a kiss on JJ's head while taking his bowl from her, and she couldn't help but smile at the unconscious gesture. She took her omelet and coffee to the table and sat across from him, stealing the funny pages, while Reid thumbed through the science section of the newspaper. She chuckled inwardly at how horribly domestic they were after only six weeks. Only the fact that they had worked together for almost eight years before they started dating kept her from freaking out about how fast they'd gotten serious.

"You ready?" she asked the second he took his last sip of coffee.

He sighed. "Are you sure I have to be a part of this? Really, it's safer if I'm not."

She tugged him up from the chair. "Come on, genius. You can do this."

"You'll be right there?"

She kissed him gently and loved the fact that he was comfortable enough to be vulnerable with her. "That whole time."

He sighed again. "Okay."

Reid look apprehensive when she handed him a package of pre-cooked chicken. "Why are we using this?" he demanded. "Real chicken is better."

"I like this," JJ answered resolutely. "It's well-spiced, and the flavors mix well with the soy sauce. Also, there's less of a chance of you killing all the guests with salmonella if we use this."

"You know approximately 0.51% of people get salmonella each year? But that number really doesn't include people who get sick without any physical symptoms. The CDC believes that's only 2% of people who actually contracted salmonella."

JJ paused for a minute while she mulled that over. "Is that your way of telling me it's a good idea to use the pre-cooked chicken?"

"Well-"

She cut off his answer by thrusting one of the packages into his hands and ordering him to, "Rip these into bite sized pieces."

She watched him for a minute to make sure he was doing it right (there really was no limit to what he could screw up in the kitchen) before opening her own package and shredding those pieces too. The only sound was the music coming from JJ's iPod speakers, which had somehow, like many of her possessions, migrated to Reid's house. Spencer had his tongue between his teeth in concentration, and JJ didn't want to break his focus.

She finished before he did and paused to watch him. He had the same look on his face that he got when he was finding some obscure clue that would help them catch an UnSub, and it made her smile. She just knew he was mentally doing calculations so every piece was exactly the same. She probably should have pointed out that it didn't matter, but sometimes there was really no stopping his mind.

"Done," he announced, tossing the last few pieces into the pile he'd created.

"Okay," she instructed, "now I want you to put two tablespoons of vegetable oil in the pan."

He overflowed the first tablespoon by about a mile, and it ran down his hand and dripped into the pan. He glanced sheepishly at JJ, and she smiled because it was so _him_. "Dump that in and just put a half of another one in," she advised. She monitored him carefully as he poured the second spoonful achingly slowly in an effort not to spill it. When he succeeded, he beamed at her despite himself.

"Good," she praised, because it may have seemed like a small thing to most people, but Reid's insecurities ran deep, and JJ had never wanted to give him a reason to doubt how amazing he was. "Now we dump all this chicken in and let it cook for a minute."

A few pieces spilled on the floor during the dumping process, but it wasn't too bad, just a testament to how uncoordinated he was. She collected and threw out those pieces before Reid could launch into a speech about how there was no scientific evidence supporting the Five-Second Rule, and that studies had shown that there was no significant difference between bacteria collected on a food after two seconds of exposure to the floor or six seconds of exposure (which JJ knew he'd learned from _Mythbusters, _despite his vehement denials).

Reid seemed to get even less coordinated when the flame to the stove came on, and JJ knew it was because he got nervous about screwing up. Her plan for the day was to relax him by distracting him from the pressure he put on himself. "So how come you never learned to cook?" she asked, handing him a wooden spoon so he could make sure the chicken didn't stick.

He shrugged, poking around the pan slightly. JJ came up behind him and guided his hand without comment. "It never seemed important," he admitted. "There were always take out places that were willing to deliver, or I could ride my bike to pick something up. I didn't have the money to buy food I had to make, and I didn't have anyone to teach me." He grinned sheepishly. "It's apparently not just basic chemistry, like everyone said it was. There are... unintended consequences."

JJ chuckled, as she opened the bottle of soy sauce. "Six tablespoons," she instructed, and she was pleased to see Reid didn't spill any over the sides of the spoon. "Did your mom ever cook? I mean, before it got really bad."

His mom had been the subject of many conversations, when the lights were out and they were both wrapped in only the sheets and each other. So much of who he was came from the childhood he was dealt, and she wanted to know about all the things that had conspired to make him the man he was. Reid didn't speak until the final tablespoon of soy sauce was in the pan and he was mixing it all together again. "She could make a few things," he answered. "Mostly pasta, macaroni and cheese, that kind of thing. She made a really good ziti." He had a dreamy look on his face that made JJ smile. "My dad did most of the cooking. Even when the medication was working, Mom had a tendency to get lost in her head. She was always so focused on one project or another."

"Hmm, sounds like someone else I know."

He blushed and smiled simultaneously, the way he always did when someone compared him to his mother. JJ handed him the bag of frozen peas and carrots. "Dump about half of this in, and I'll throw in the bouillon cubes."

He got about a quarter of the bag out before a particularly large frozen chunk impeded it, and he dropped the bag in the pan trying to break it up. Without thinking, he reached in to get it. "Ow!" he yelped, withdrawing his hand quickly.

"Go run it under cool water," JJ ordered, using the spoon to fish the vegetable bag out. Amazingly, almost exactly half the bag was empty, and she shook her head at the contradiction in Reid's luck. She stirred it around for a second before going to check on Reid. "You okay?" she asked, inspecting the red mark. It didn't seem to be forming a blister, so it probably wasn't bad.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered, and she furrowed her brow in confusion at his sudden shyness... until she looked up and realized how close they were.

She grinned at him, loving how flustered she could make him just by invading his personal space. "Want me to kiss it better?" she teased.

He flushed. "Ah... actually, kissing has no real restorative powers. It-"

She cut him off by pulling his lips down to hers, which she'd found was the most effective way to prevent a lecture. She was still holding his hand as they pulled apart. "You sure about that?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow and smirking.

"I guess it's a scientific marvel."

She laughed and released his hand, pushing him back to the stove. "Stir."

She pulled out the garlic powder and onion powder while he obeyed, and sidled up next to him to pour it in. She didn't know how to quantify how much to add, and while they said there was no such thing as too much garlic, she wasn't sure the people who said that had ever met Spencer Reid, who did not do well with, "Add it until it feels right." So she added the spices herself.

She pulled out her giant measuring cup and handed it to Reid. "Fill this with four cups of cold water," she told him, and she waited while he painstakingly filled and emptied it until it was exactly even with the four cup line. "Great, now pour it in. Carefully."

It was a minor miracle that all the water stayed in the pan, and she pulled him away from it before his cooking karma could mess it up. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now we wait for it to boil."

Together they sorted out the garbage on the counter, and put the few utensils they'd used in the sink to be washed later. JJ hopped up on the counter to wait, and she tugged Reid until he stepped between her legs. "Hi," he said as she locked her ankles around his waist.

She drew him in for a kiss, and he grinned into it, granting her questing tongue access. "Mmm," he moaned as she pulled back a little to breathe. "Cooking turns you on? How did I not know this about you?"

"Watching you cook turns me on," she corrected.

"Or maybe it's watching me obey your every command," he challenged.

"Maybe," she conceded, reeling him in again.

Reid stopped it before it got too interesting. "Water. Boiling."

JJ looked over his shoulder. "Not boiling yet."

"But soon. We can't get distracted."

She sighed. "You're going to pick cooking over sex with me?" she demanded teasingly.

He seemed to pick up on her joking tone, which wasn't always a guarantee, but he looked her square in the eyes and said, "JJ, this is the closest I've ever come to making something edible. I may never be able to do this again if it gets screwed up."

"Okay, okay. We'll have sex after it's done."

He blushed a little-she hadn't yet succeeded in breaking him of that-but nodded enthusiastically. "I'm up for that."

She opened her mouth to make a dirty comment just before she caught the twinkle in his eye. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed. "Did you just make an innuendo? I'm so proud of you!"

"I learned from the best."

She kissed him again, just a little, before she head the tell-tale sound of water boiling. "Come on, let's put the rice in, and we can fool around while it's cooking."

Under JJ's careful watch, Reid measured out four cups of rice and dumped it in. She lowered the light on the stove and put the lid on top, then set the time for ten minutes. "Okay, now we just need to scramble two eggs in this smaller pan, and we'll dump them in while it's cooking."

Reid made a mess cracking the eggs, but most of them wound up in the bowl (with minimal shell). He scrambled them with a fork and dumped them in the pan without incident. He only burned himself once while they were cooking, so JJ considered this phase a success. She helped him put them in the pan with the rice and dragged him to the couch for the remaining seven minutes of cook time.

He laughed as she straddled his lap and began kissing him enthusiastically. "I'm still not having sex with you while it's cooking," he reminded.

"Mhmm," she replied. She didn't need it to go any further. Sometimes it just overwhelmed her, how much she wanted this man. She'd spent years seeing him as a geeky, almost-brother, and it had taken her breath away when she looked at him one day and realized she wanted to stop his mini-rant on the significance of Arbor Day in Nebraska by doing things that would make him blush.

She'd also been surprised to find out that not as much made him blush as she'd expected.

She slid her hands into his hair to pull him closer, and his were wandering around her back. She felt him test the clasp of her bra through her shirt; she could almost hear him debating whether taking it off would lead to more than he wanted. He left it closed, but slid his hands down to rest on her bare stomach, just under the hem of her shirt. She shivered a little when he began running his thumbs lightly over her skin, and she pressed her hips harder against his.

"JJ..." he murmured, pulling back to rain kisses over her jaw. She heard a breathy, whimpering noise and started when she realized it was coming from her.

So of course the timer went off right at that moment. "Oh, come _on_," JJ groaned, her head thumping against Reid's shoulder.

"Up," he insisted, squirming so he could stand. With a disappointed sigh, she followed him into the kitchen.

"It could have waited another minute," she grumbled, grabbing the oven mitts she'd stashed in a drawer the night before.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You only needed another minute?"

She winked at him as she lifted the lid. "What can I say? You do it to me." She stirred the rice around a bit. "Okay, this looks done. Come on, you want to taste a bite?"

"I... um..."

Reid had that deer in the headlights look he got when he wasn't sure what the right answer was. She took out a fork and loaded up a bit of rice, blowing on it until it was cool enough to pop in her mouth. "Mmm, perfect," she declared.

He blinked at her as she scooped up another forkful and blew on it again, this time holding it out to him. "Go on, Spence. Try it."

He took the bite tentatively. "Oh my God," he exclaimed after he swallowed. "It's actually _good_."

She laughed. "I told you you could do it."

He pulled her close and kissed her, and she squeaked in surprise. "Only with your help," he admitted as he released her. He looked at her seriously. "Thank you."

"Anytime," she promised, hooking her pinkie in his to seal it. She made a show of checking her watch, a mischievous grin on her face. "We've got a few hours before the party. Want to celebrate your culinary success?"

He took her hand and tugged her towards the stairs. "I think that's the best idea you've had all day."


	5. Revenge

Disclaimer: I don't own _Criminal Minds_ or any of the characters within.

**Author's Note: And we're back to some angst. This one wound up being a little longer than I'd intended, but it's something that was mulling around in my head for awhile. Rated M for a few naughty words that wouldn't find a place on primetime television.**

_**REVENGE**_  
By: Hopeful Writer

JJ stood, silently seething (though her face was a mask of serenity) as she tried to tune out the lecture Strauss was just getting warmed up for.

"-amateur mistake, Agent Jareau. You're lucky I don't put you on probation."

"Ma'am," Hotch tried to interject, but Strauss rolled right over him.

"In all my years with the Bureau, I've never seen the press be handed such a welcome treat by a liaison. You-"

JJ's ears buzzed, and she barely resisted the urge to cover them. It wasn't that the Section Chief was wrong-it had been a rookie mistake, and she had given the press a wonderful gift-but the indignity of getting chewed out in front of the boss she actually respected while her entire team waited downstairs at the FBI Christmas party was almost too much to bear.

Plus, she really, really hated Strauss.

Finally it was over with a, "Don't let it happen again, Agent Jareau," and JJ fled to the relative safety of the bullpen and her friends.

"You okay?" Reid asked, checking to make sure Strauss hadn't come out of the office before he reached out and squeezed her hand. They'd been dating for four weeks and, though they'd come out to the team after the third date, it wasn't exactly public knowledge.

She tried to smile, but she couldn't make it form. Her mind was stewing over the words Strauss had said, "...the very picture of unprofessional..." Her, unprofessional? She was fairly confident she'd never acted unprofessionally when she was on the clock, even when she was screwing up. It was the only thing Strauss had said that had truly fired up Hotch, and he'd spent a full five minutes arguing with her. While JJ appreciated the support (and she was grateful that Hotch didn't see her as such), the words still stung.

So instead of brushing off his innocent question with a, "Yeah, I'm fine," she tightened her hand in his and said, "You want to get out of here for a few minutes?"

He blinked at her, completely taken aback by the request, and she saw his eyes dart nervously to Morgan, Emily and Garcia, who completed the small circle. Morgan winked at him. "Don't worry, pretty boy. We'll cover for you."

JJ shot him a grateful look and tugged on Reid's hand. "Come on, Spence, just for a few minutes," she prodded.

He let himself be tugged, but he put up a token protest anyway. "Ah, JJ, are you sure...?"

"Yes. Come on."

He followed her through the crowded halls until they got to quieter, more secluded area, where she pressed him against the wall, molded her hips against his, and proceeded to kiss him senseless. He didn't move for a minute, and she waited for his short-circuited brain to turn back on. When it did, he clamped his arms around her waist tightly-just like she liked it-and pulled her a fraction of an inch closer, opening his mouth to grant her tongue access.

They stood like that for a long time, just kissing, until JJ's hands began to get restless, and she slid one into Reid's hair and the other down to his ass. It was like flipping a switch, and he immediately pushed her away. "What-what are we doing?" he stammered.

She took in his wonderfully tousled hair and his kiss-swollen lips, and she wanted him more. She raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed (which JJ was a little impressed he could even do, since she'd felt where most of his blood was a moment ago). "I can explain it if you need," she teased.

"I... ah, _no_, I just mean... um, we can't do this _here_."

"Why not?" JJ argued. "No one's here. After the week we've had, we deserve to act a little _unprofessionally_."

He narrowed his eyes. "JJ, what exactly did Strauss say to you up there?"

She pulled fully out of his arms. "Why does that matter?"

"Did she accuse you of acting unprofessionally?" A small part of JJ's brain was relieved to note that he sounded as shocked at the accusation as she'd been.

"Maybe," she replied stubbornly. "Who cares?"

"I do!" His voice cracked a little, like it always did when he was excited, turned on, or nervous. "You can't just... use me for sex to get back at Strauss!"

It was so on the nose that she wanted to smack him. "Really? Because you've never had a problem with me _using you for sex_ before," she spat scathingly. "In fact, you've always seemed to be a willing participant."

"I was! I mean, I am! I just... this is... JJ!"

At any other time, it would have been gratifying to see him stuttering and speechless. Now it just served to fuel JJ's anger. "If you're not interested in being _used for sex_ anymore, maybe I'll just go find someone else who's interested."

Bright red spots appeared on his cheeks, and he drew himself up to full height, challenging her. "I'm not having sex with you here," he said firmly. "And if you were thinking clearly-"

She cut him off because she was afraid she'd hit him if she let him keep going. "Trust me, Reid, I'm thinking just as clearly as I've ever been."

"JJ, you just got chewed out by our boss. You're mad and-"

"You're damn right I'm mad! And not just at her."

"-when you calm down you'll-"

"Shut up," she ordered, and he finally, _finally_, fell silent. "You're damn right I'm mad. I'm mad at Strauss, I'm mad at the damn press corp, and I'm mad at you, and maybe I feel like being a little reckless and unprofessional right now. I'm going to say it one more time. If you're not interested in being part of this, then I'll find someone else who's willing."

His breathing was harsh, and he looked somewhere between pissed and devastated. "I'm not having sex with you here," he said again.

"Then get out of my way." She shoved him aside and stormed off.

CMCMCM

Reid was a bit shell-shocked when he made his way back to the team, and Morgan smirked at him. "Have a good time?" he asked with a leer, but he frowned when Reid didn't react the way he'd expected. "You okay, kid?"

"Ah, yeah. Yeah."

"Everything okay with you and JJ?" Emily asked, apparently catching on to the uncomfortable situation.

"I... I think we... might have broken up?" It came out as a question because he really wasn't sure if JJ just wanted someone for the night, or if the fight had been bigger than that. And he wasn't sure if he could continue seeing her if she slept with someone else.

Morgan, Emily and Garcia all gaped at him. "_What_?" Emily demanded at the same time as Garcia cried, "What happened?"

"She... ah... she wanted to... Strauss told her she acted unprofessionally."

"Bitch," Garcia hissed, and Morgan put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Reid couldn't stop now. Somewhere, he thought maybe he shouldn't be spilling JJ's secrets, but it was his secret too now, and Morgan, Garcia and Emily were his best friends. "She wanted to get back at Strauss by having... um... by, you know..."

"Having sex with you?" Morgan prompted.

Reid blushed. "That."

"Here?" Emily demanded, both her eyebrows shooting up towards her hairline.

Reid nodded miserably, and Garcia gave a low whistle. "That's our girl."

"I said no."

Now they were all staring at him. "You said no?" Morgan repeated dumbly. "That gorgeous woman asked you for revenge sex, and you said no." Garcia slapped his shoulder.

"I... not here." Reid wouldn't meet their eyes.

"Aw, sweetie, who among us hasn't fooled around a little at work?" Garcia asked. Emily raised her hand; Garcia ignored her.

"Not here," Reid insisted.

"Why not?" Emily asked, feeling like there was more to this than just his fear of getting caught.

He toed the floor shyly. "Eventually... eventually we're going to have to tell Strauss that we've been dating. And, you know, officially tell Hotch so he can stop looking the other way. And the first thing they're going to wonder is whether it'll affect us at work. And we need to be able to tell them that we've never done anything on the job, or they'll split us up."

"But you're not on the job now," Morgan pointed out.

Reid shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We're in the building." He sighed. "Look, I can't lie. I mean, I'm really, really bad at it, especially to Hotch. I owe him more respect than that. I don't want... I don't want a spur of the moment decision to be the reason we can't work together anymore." He bit his lip and sighed again. "Even if it is a really, really good spur of the moment decision."

When he finally looked up, Emily and Garcia had the goofiest grins on their faces, and he felt a tremor of fear ripple through him. "That's really sweet, Reid," Emily admitted.

"Once you explain it to her like that, she'll understand," Garcia agreed. "No woman can resist a man who loves her that much."

"She's going to find someone else," he argued.

"What makes you think that?" Morgan demanded, looking incredulous.

"She told me she was."

Garcia shook her head. "It's just something women say when they get mad, sugar," she explained. "We never mean it."

It was as if there was a cue. JJ brushed past them on Agent Anderson's arm, leading him through the doors and down the hall where she disappeared.

She didn't look at Reid once.

He felt cold everywhere. "I don't think it was just something she said," he managed, but his voice sounded hollow to his own ears.

Morgan clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You know what we need, right?" he asked the girls.

"Booze," Emily answered.

Morgan nodded. "And lots of it."

CMCMCM

Reid was already pretty drunk when Morgan tried to take his sixth drink and said, "Hey, take it easy, kid. You'll make yourself sick."

Reid pulled away. "Shut up. I'm allowed to be drunk. I just broke up with my girlfriend."

It was the eighth time he'd said it since they started drinking, and Morgan just rolled his eyes. "You shut up. You didn't break up. You'll figure it out."

Reid pouted. "You're supposed to be nice to me. My girlfriend just screwed some other guy." He stopped and considered that for a second. "Is screwing some other guy. Maybe just screwed. Or is screwing again. Or still. Do you think still? They haven't come back yet. I wonder how long Agent Anderson can last. I can't last this long." Morgan made a choking noise, and Reid rushed to add, "Not that I can't last for awhile. Because, Derek, I can last for awhile."

"You don't need to be telling me this, buddy."

"You're right!" Reid exclaimed. "I should be telling a girl." He looked around the room, his head snapping so fast he wobbled. Emily reached out to steady him. "Emily! You're a girl!"

"I am."

"And, Garcia! You're one too!"

"Thanks for noticing, sweetie."

"Then I need to tell you... I need to tell you... Derek, what was I supposed to tell them?"

Morgan laughed. The kid was fun when he was smashed. "That you're a sex god."

Reid nodded seriously. "Right." He fixed Emily and Garcia with a level gaze. "I'm really good at sex," he insisted, and Morgan thought Garcia was going to lose it. "And I wasn't a virgin when I started dating JJ. I haven't been a virgin since I was sixteen. I know there was a bet."

"Which I just won," Emily declared. "Thank you, Reid."

"You're welcome." He tipped his head back and closed his eyes for a minute, and Morgan watched carefully to make sure he didn't tip over. "I can prove I'm good at sex. Emily, you should have sex with me."

A few heads turned at the sudden outburst of choking and laughter that followed that statement, but Morgan was too busy trying to keep himself from getting a stitch. "Wha-what?" Emily gasped, but Morgan could see that she was one good line away from cracking up too.

"Well, Garcia has a boyfriend, and Morgan's a guy, and Hotch is my boss, and Rossi's old, and JJ doesn't like me anymore so she won't be honest," Reid reasoned. "You have to tell them that I'm good."

"We believe you're good," she promised.

"That's not-" Reid hiccuped. "That's not very scientific." He shrugged. "I can ask someone else if you want. But only if you want me too," he suddenly insisted. "I'm not going to ask you for sex then turn around and ask someone else unless you say it's okay."

"Okay, kid, time to get out of here," Morgan interrupted, trying to stop Reid from getting maudlin. "We need to put you to bed."

"'M not a baby," Reid muttered, but he let Morgan manhandle him out to the car. "Derek?" he said wearily, closing his eyes as Morgan pulled out of the parking garage, Garcia and Emily in Esther following behind them.

"Yeah, kid, what's up?"

"D'ya really think JJ and I'll figure it out?"

"Of course I do. You've been through more before you started dating than most couples have to face in their entire relationships. You can survive this."

Reid yawned, coming down from his buzz. "Between 50 and 60 percent of people will cheat on their significant other at least once," he recited, and Morgan was reminded of a Bing commercial for a minute. "A higher percentage of men cheat than women. The average length of an affair is two years. In 41 percent of divorces, one or both spouses admit to having either a physical or emotional affair, and only 31 percent of marriages survive after learning that one partner has cheated on the other."*

"Why do you know all that?" Morgan asked, rolling his eyes.

Reid shrugged. "I read it somewhere."

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't read that shit. It'll just depress you."

"Too late."

Morgan sighed. "Look, you and JJ aren't most couples, okay? You'll calm down tomorrow and talk it out, and it'll be alright."

"After she sleeps with Agent Anderson," Reid spat.

Morgan stopped in front of Reid's apartment with a jerk, cutting off the conversation. "Get out of the car, kid," he ordered, not unkindly.

Reid didn't open his eyes. "I think I need help getting into the vertical position," he admitted. "I'm experiencing vertigo."

"You're also the only person I know who uses the word vertigo when he's piss-drunk," Morgan grumbled, hauling Reid up until he was standing on his own. "Let's go. Inside."

He was grateful Emily and Garcia followed because it took all three of them to muscle Reid up the stairs to his third floor apartment (why, oh why, did his building not have an elevator?). Reid giggled when Emily pulled the keys out of his pocket.

"So that's a yes then?" he asked, coy in a way he never could be when he was sober.

Emily grinned at him despite herself. Hell, even Morgan thought the kid was cute when he was drunk. "Tell you what, Reid," she said. "You still want to have this conversation tomorrow, we'll talk."

Garcia snickered. "If you even remember this conversation tomorrow."

"I'll remember," Reid insisted. "I remember everything. Eidetic memory." He tapped a long index finger against his temple. "My blurse."

"You're... I'm sorry, you're _what_?" Emily asked incredulously.

"My blurse," Reid repeated. "My blessing and my curse. Blurse."

"Okay, sweet cheeks, I think it's bed time for all drunk geniuses."

"Garcia," Reid said, very seriously, "I'm the only drunk genius here."

CMCMCM

The pounding on the door woke Reid before his headache did, and he squinted at the glow-in-the-dark hands on his clock (clocks with bright numbers disrupted your sleep cycle by providing too much light and tricking your brain into thinking it needed to be doing something). 4:15? Who the hell was knocking on his door at 4:15?

He jerked up when he heard it open, and he swallowed hard in hopes of preventing himself from throwing up. His gun was in the night stand, and he fumbled with the childproof lock he'd put on it to prevent himself from shooting first and asking questions later.

Weapon securely in hand, he crept out to the living room. He heard low voices speaking, and it took him a moment to process that at least one of those voices was Emily's. A second later, he realized the second voice was JJ's.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, and both women started. He realized too late that he was only in boxers and a tight white T-shirt, and he tried not to blush when Emily smirked at him.

"I was making sure you didn't asphyxiate on your own vomit while you were sleeping," she explained. "I didn't get the impression you were used to being drunk."

"Drunk?" JJ echoed.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Reid tried not to sound as angry as he felt, but he was pretty sure he didn't do a very good job of it.

"I, ah, I came to apologize."

"At 4 in the morning?" Emily asked, but her voice was mild.

JJ shot her a rueful glance, and Emily raised an eyebrow in reproach. Emily and JJ were best friends, but JJ had messed up, and Emily knew it.

After a minute of silent communication, Emily nodded. "Okay, I'm out of here," she declared. "Reid, drink some water before you go back to sleep and don't die or Morgan will kill me."

Reid hadn't taken his eyes off JJ, but he tore them away now. "Okay. Thanks, Emily." He caught her eyes. "For everything."

She kissed his cheek. "Anytime." She winked at him. "And give me a call tomorrow if you want to finish that discussion from earlier."

It took him a second to remember, and he blushed scarlet. "I, uh, I, yeah. Okay. Bye, Emily!" He shoved her, laughing, out the door.

JJ looked like she wanted to ask, but she refrained. Reid sighed. "What do you want, JJ?"

"I'm sorry," she blurted, without any build up. "I was a total bitch to you, and you didn't deserve it at all. I was just so... _mad_ at Strauss, and the stupid FBI rules, and the fact that I even made such a dumb mistake in the first place, and I took it all out on you, and I shouldn't have, and I'm really, really sorry, Spence."

She said it all in one breath, and Reid remained impassive the whole time. Finally he replied, "I don't really know what you expect me to say, JJ. 'No problem, you can fuck around with anyone you want as long as you're _sorry_ about it later?' "

She flinched at the expletive, and at the verbal blow. "I didn't sleep with him," she admitted. His eyes narrowed, but she rushed on. "I thought about it, and I was going to, but... he wasn't you. I didn't want him; I didn't even want to kiss him, let alone... I wanted to break the rules with you." She took a breath and laid it all out there. "We always have to be so careful when we're there. Even when we're just hanging out with the team, if Hotch is there. We can't kiss or touch each other too much or even hold hands without someone having to look the other way about it, and it sucks! And, yeah, I was mad at Strauss, but I didn't just want to do something I knew would piss her off. I wanted to do it with you, there, in that stupid, repressive building with all those stupid, repressive people right there."

Reid could only blink at her, his mind whirling. She hadn't slept with Anderson. She wanted him. She hated that they were so restricted because of the Bureau. She wanted him.

"Spence?"

Her voice sounded far away. So he took two steps closer and pulled her in, crashing his lips down on hers. She kissed him back with everything she had, nipping and licking and sucking in that messy way that only appealed to the two people doing the kissing. "I love you, JJ," he blurted as he pulled away for air.

She didn't miss a beat, didn't pause for even a fraction of a second. "I love you too."

He grinned and pressed his forehead against hers, wobbling just a little unsteadily. "I think I'm still a little drunk," he admitted sheepishly.

She laughed, and her breath ghosted over his face. "I can't believe I missed you getting drunk. Tell me someone got video."

"I'm sure Garcia did."

She squeezed his hand, leaning in for another chaste kiss. Which he yawned during. She smiled. "Bedtime," she announced.

She led him towards the bedroom, and he teased, "Awfully presumptuous of you to assume I'm going to want you in my bed."

It was only a joke, but she frowned a little. "I really am sorry, Spence," she said again, and he stopped for another hug.

"I know. But we're okay. We can talk more tomorrow."

"Mmm, who'd have thought you'd be the mature one in this relationship?"

"Anyone who knows your track record with dating?"

"Ouch," she replied, wincing a little. "Though true."

She curled up next to him, tucked securely into his side, thinking that, while it might not be blatantly breaking any rules, going to sleep with a smile on her face because of this man might be the best revenge she could ever get.

END

_*Statistics from .. They might be a little old, but I just needed something for Reid to quote. Sorry if they're not 100% accurate._


	6. Mine

Disclaimer: I don't own _Criminal Minds_ or any of the characters herein.

**Author's Note: I know everyone's doing stories in honor of AJ Cook's departure, and, after watching the promo for the next episode, I had to jump on the bandwagon. This is just a short little vignette that was inspired by the pathetic way Reid said, "He can't just take you away."**

_**MINE  
**_By: Hopeful Writer

The words echoed in Reid's ears for so long he felt like he was starring in a bad movie. "Will wants to move back to New Orleans."

"You're leaving?" Garcia demanded, and Reid felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

JJ nodded. She looked terrified, and Reid couldn't figure out if it was because she was telling them or because she didn't want to go. Secretly, he hoped it was the latter.

"You can't," Emily protested. She looked as close to tears as Reid had ever seen, and it unsettled him.

"It's done," JJ replied. She ducked her head to avoid eye contact.

"He can't just take you away," Reid argued, willing her to look up and see what he was trying to say.

She did look up, but whatever she saw in his eyes just made her turn away. "It's done," she repeated softly, and he felt like throwing up.

CMCMCM

He found her in a half-empty office two hours later. "How's it going?" he asked gently, because if he said anything else he'd say everything else.

She sighed. "I... it's hard," she admitted. "Harder than I expected. Everyone is looking at me like I kicked their puppy."

Reid wondered for one ridiculous moment if maybe he was the puppy she was kicking. "We're just surprised," he tried to reassure her. "It sort of came out of nowhere."

"Yeah."

He perched on the corner of her desk and watched as she meticulously sorted and packed the various personal items around her office when she lingered on a particular picture. It was of the two of them at one of the annual FBI picnics, the one that had been only a few weeks after their ill-fated football date. They'd been a little awkward around each other still, but Garcia had been running around with the camera, demanding pictures of every combination of people she could manage, so JJ had thrown an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close when the lens was pointed in their direction. He'd recovered enough by the time was picture was taken to put his own arm around her shoulders, and they were both grinning broadly, eyes sparkling, cheeks touching. If you didn't know the context, it almost looked like they were a couple.

Reid's copy of that picture was on the end table by his bed.

The dam broke. "Please don't go, JJ," he blurted.

Her head snapped up and she met his eyes, and this time neither of them looked away. "I have to," she insisted. "Will gave up his career to be here when Henry was born. It's time I gave up something in return."

"It's not fair," he argued. "He can't take you away."

"New Orleans isn't that far," she reasoned. "And we can call and text and video chat as often as we want. We'll visit all the time. We'll keep in touch, Spence."

He stubbornly shook his head. "No. He can't take you away."

"You keep saying that. He's my fiance. Why can't he?"

Reid took a breath. It was now or never. "He can't take you away because... you're mine."

There. It was out there now. If she was leaving, it didn't matter if she didn't reciprocate. And if she did... well, maybe she wouldn't leave.

"I... _Spencer_," she breathed. It didn't sound like a bad thing.

He kept going. "I love you, JJ. I've loved you for years. And you said you just wanted to be friends, that the work thing would get in the way, and I didn't say anything when you were dating Will, or you got pregnant, or Henry was born, but I can't let him take you to New Orleans without at least telling you that I want to be the one you'd drop everything for because you've always been that person for me."

She couldn't have looked more shocked if he'd slapped her, and he suddenly realized that she really had _no idea_ he'd felt that way. As suddenly as he'd started, he ran out of steam. "I know I just kind of threw this at you," he admitted, "but I won't have another chance to say it, and I'm sorry if I wrecked our friendship, but I had to tell you. So I'm just going to... go."

He started toward the door, but then he heard, "Wait." He turned back, not daring to hope. In three quick steps, JJ was in front of him, and she grabbed his face and reeled him, her lips crashing down on his without hesitation. It took his mind a second to kick into gear, but then he was holding her hips and meeting her tongue and pressing against her like he'd never have another chance. She pulled back for air and gasped, "I love you too. It's always been you, Spencer."

He kissed her again. Now that he'd gotten a taste, he couldn't get enough. "What are you going to do?" he asked when they separated again, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I... I guess I'm going to talk to Will." She sounded like she'd rather hack off her own ear, but Reid's heart fluttered almost painfully in his chest. She was choosing him. She was staying.

He felt weak with relief. "Garcia will be happy to hear that," he managed, and she snorted a laugh into his shirt. "She's been rooting for us."

"Garcia knew how you felt?"

It was Reid's turn to snort. "JJ, _everyone_ knew how I felt. They're _profilers_, and I'm terrible at hiding my feelings."

"It was news to me," she admitted sheepishly. She kissed him to avoid the psychology lecture she was sure was in her future.

When they pulled apart this time, Reid wore a rueful smile. "I should get back to my paperwork," he told her reluctantly. "Will you come by tonight after you talk to Will?"

She nodded. "I imagine I'll need a place to sleep after I tell him I'm not moving to New Orleans."

"I have a couch," he teased, and she slapped his shoulder before she released him.

"I'll see you later," she said firmly, pushing him out the door.

He walked backwards for a few steps before he stumbled, but it was long enough to catch one last glimpse of her smile as she closed the door behind him. He let out a long breath that it felt like he'd been holding for years. He'd told her everything and she was staying. At this moment, in this exact second in time, he couldn't ask for anything more.

END


	7. Smart

Disclaimer: I don't own _Criminal Minds_ or any of the characters herein.

**Author's Note: So this cute little scene popped into my head while I was being productive at work and demanded to be written so insistently that I was forced to abandon my project and spend a half hour on this. I think it's the beginning of a longer story, but in case I never write the rest, I wanted to post this. For the sake of argument, JJ and Reid are just about the same age. JJ is in college, Reid has already graduated (a few times). I also ask you to ignore the giant canon flaw. From everything I can gather, Reid joined the BAU at 21, and it was his first real job. There is absolutely nothing to suggest he was ever sent to Pittsburgh. For this story, however, I ask you to suspend disbelief and believe that they sent him to Pennsylvania for a year before sending him to the BAU, mostly so they could say he'd proven himself in another position. If I continue the story as planned, there are a few more areas where I'll ask you to suspend disbelief (including one spot where I completely screw with a few characters' ages). **

**Also, there's a point where Spencer lists the degrees he has. I know they aren't they aren't the ones he lists when he and Rossi are giving that recruitment seminar, but I figured Reid at 21 wouldn't have all the same degrees as he did at 27, and I tried to adjust accordingly.  
**

**_SMART  
_**By: Hopeful Writer

"Tell you what, boys. Whoever can tell me what ten amendments make up the Bill of Rights gets a kiss from me."

The boys stammered over themselves. "There's that freedom one." "Something about voting?" "No, that's later, stupid." "You can plead the 5th."

Spencer should have kept his mouth shut, he really should have. But, like always, he couldn't resist answering a question when it was asked. He turned around and quickly, breathlessly, recited, "The First Amendment protects the freedoms of speech, religion, press and assembly. The Second gives the right for a well-organized militia to bear arms. The Third …"

They were all staring at him when he was done, three good-looking guys that looked like frat boys and a beautiful blonde girl with a textbook opened in front of her. He blushed and looked away. "Sorry," he apologized quickly. "Sorry, I… I couldn't help overhearing, and I… I should just go. Sorry."

He grabbed the rest of his lunch and started to bolt, but the girl was out of her seat already and calling for him to wait. He turned back reluctantly.

She grinned shyly. "I did promise whoever could tell me would get a kiss," she reminded, and he felt his cheeks burn.

"I… you don't know me at all," he protested weakly. "You don't have to."

But before he could open his mouth again, she leaned in and kissed him softly, sweetly. She laughed a little at the dumbfounded expression on his face, kindly. "Smart is sexy," she replied, patting his cheek gently before backing away.

"I'm Spencer," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "Spencer Reid."

She held out her hand and smiled brightly. "Jennifer Jareau."

CMCMCM

JJ ditched the guys she was with and walked out with Spencer. "Are you a student?" she asked, noticing a lack of backpack or school books.

"Ah, no," Spencer answered, feeling the cursed blush again. "I work for the FBI."

She stared at him. "Seriously? How old are you?"

"I'll be 21 next week."

"And you already work for the FBI? Did you join up right out of high school or graduate early?"

"I graduated early."

"When did you graduate?" She seemed unable to stop herself from asking questions, which provided a nice counterpoint to Spencer's inability to keep from answering them.

"Last year. I went to Cal Tech though. The FBI assigned me to their Pittsburgh Field Office for training, and I'll move to DC next year."

"What was your degree in?"

"I, uh, I hold PhDs in mathematics and engineering, and a masters in chemistry and BA in psychology."

JJ stopped walking. "Jesus, already?" she demanded. "You're a genius!"

She sounded a little thrilled by that. He shrugged. "I don't like labels." She raised an eyebrow and he hurried on, "But I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and I can read 20,000 words per minute."

"That's awesome," JJ enthused. He smiled a little. That wasn't how people normally reacted upon hearing of his intellect, and he looked down in an effort to control his red face. "So that's how you knew all the amendments in order," she realized. "I think I got conned into a kiss."

He looked back up, the smiling fading and a horrified look replacing it. "I didn't mean to!" he insisted. "I told you you didn't have to!"

But JJ just laughed. "Relax, Spence, I'm just teasing. I wouldn't have done it if I'd minded."

Spencer wasn't sure what shocked him most: the teasing, the fact that she hadn't minded kissing him, or her calling him Spence. No one had ever given him a nickname before, unless Nerd Boy counted (and Spencer liked to think it didn't).

JJ was looking at him expectantly, and he glanced away again. "Right," he said, lamely and a little too late. He strove to change the subject. "So, ah, what's… what's your major?"

"Communications," she answered promptly. "With a focus in public relations."

Spencer actually shuddered. "That's a lot of public speaking."

She grinned. "I don't mind. I'd rather get up in front of large groups of people than have a one-on-one conversation with someone."

Spencer would rather do neither, but he refrained from saying so. JJ checked her watch. "But, if I'm going to graduate with any degree, I have to get to my history exam. So, it was nice to meet you, Spencer Reid."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, you too," Spencer stuttered.

She studied his face for a second before reaching out and seizing his hand. With a ballpoint pen, she carefully scribbled ten digits. Spencer's eyes widened. Her phone number. "Give me a call later and maybe we can hang out," she instructed. She winked at him. "Don't wash it off."

"O—ok."

She patted his cheek with laughing eyes and strolled off towards the history department. "Bye, Spence!"

He stared at his hand for far longer than it took to memorize the number, until he walked straight into a lamp post because he wasn't paying attention. This was certainly not how he'd expected this day to turn out.

TO BE CONTINUED?


	8. Easier

Disclaimer: I don't own _Criminal Minds_ or any of the character mentioned below.

**Author's Note: So this story got nominated for a 2010 Criminal Minds Fanfic Award for Best Het Romance! This is my first ever fanfic award nomination, and I'm really flattered that someone thought this was good enough to be in contention for the award.**

**As a thank you, I offer you all another JJ/Reid vignette. This is the first time I've tried to insert any case-related things into a chapter. This is set basically in the same universe as "Mine," but several years later.**

**_EASIER  
_**By: Hopeful Writer**  
**

It never got any easier, Reid reflected, as he stared at the picture of the two dead boys, one eight and one five. Skulls bashed in, faces burned antemortem, little fists curled like they were still trying to fight back. The bigger one was wrapped around the smaller. Not deliberately, like the UnSub had shown any remorse, but naturally, an older brother protecting the younger.

Reid had to look away, feeling a familiar burning sensation in his throat and eyes.

He wasn't sure what time it was. Hotch had sent them all back to the hotel hours ago, but they were a team full of insomniacs, and they rotated in and out of their temporary headquarters at all hours of the night. When Reid had returned after an hour or so's restless sleep, Prentiss had been burning the midnight oil. They'd worked quietly for a while, speaking only briefly when one or the other desperately needed a sounding board. She had left not long ago, when she could no longer keep her eyes focused, and he'd been alone.

The faint creak of a door opening told Reid his solitude was over.

He caught a familiar scent and felt a rush of relief flood his veins. He looked up eagerly as JJ came through the bullpen, spotting him at the whiteboard and smiling slightly. She looked sleepy, and he felt a little bad. "I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked.

"The bed got cold," she admitted sheepishly, and he couldn't fight the shy grin that was blossoming on his face. A year of dating and six years of marriage, and it sometimes still surprised him that she was as in love with him as he was with her.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I couldn't sleep."

"I know. I felt you moving around." She glanced at the board and seemed to stave off a shudder by sheer force of will. "Anything new?"

He sighed, frustrated. "Nothing. This level of torture, the overkill… it all suggests the UnSub knew the victims, but I haven't been able to find any connections between the boys except that they're brothers of roughly the same age. Different schools, different sports teams, different churches, different doctors, even different clothing stores. Nothing to suggest they ever would have met."

"So maybe the overkill is because of something personal to the UnSub, and the boys are stand-ins for someone else," JJ suggested.

"Absent a link between them, that must be it," Reid conceded. "The older brothers are always hurt worse, but is that because he's angrier at them, or because they're protecting their younger brothers? Was he a little brother who felt he didn't get protected properly? Was he an older brother who felt like he spent too much time protecting his little brother?"

"Or an older brother who felt like he couldn't protect his little brother," JJ added.

Reid froze. That hadn't occurred to him, yet it sounded so plausible coming out of JJ's mouth that he wanted to kick himself. "I didn't think of that," he admitted. "Why didn't I think of that? It's my job to think of things like that."

"Even geniuses have off days, sweetie," JJ tried to pacify him.

He shook his head angrily. "I just… I can't focus. I keep looking at these boys and I keep seeing—"

He broke off, but JJ understood. "They're exactly Henry and Shane's ages," she finished, and he nodded wearily. "I know. I've been seeing them in every picture too. I called Will at midnight and asked him to just hold the phone up to their mouths while they were sleeping so I could hear them breathing."

Reid breathed out a small laugh. "I just want to catch this guy and go home and spend the entire day playing that stupid Alvin and the Chipmunks game they love so much."

"We'll get him," JJ promised, wrapping her arms around his waist in a sideways hug. "We always do."

They stood in front of the board like that for a long time. It was easier when JJ was there, Reid realized, easier to be strong when he was doing it for her, easier to look at these pictures and not see his sons when he knew she was compartmentalizing as well. Easier to ignore the ache in his heart at seeing some other father's boys so broken when JJ was taking half the pain.

Reid wasn't sure what time it was when Hotch walked in. "I thought I told you to go back to the hotel," he reproved lightly. Reid smiled ruefully, and JJ raised an eyebrow. Hotch sighed a little. "Did you get any sleep?"

"A bit," JJ assured him. "How's Jack?"

Hotch didn't bother denying that he'd called home. "Hoping I stay away for a long time so he can keep being spoiled by his stepmother," he deadpanned. "Gillian let him stay up until midnight last night."

"Lucky guy," JJ replied with a grin, and Hotch almost returned it.

"How are Henry and Shane?"

"Tucked in their beds without a care in the world. Just the way it should be," JJ said firmly.

Hotch did smile at this. "As you two should be," he countered. "Go back to the hotel and get a couple more hours sleep. We'll come at this from a new angle in the morning."

Reid contemplated arguing, but JJ tugged his hand insistently, and he acquiesced, letting her lead him out of the precinct to the hotel down the block. "We'll call the boys when they get up for school in the morning," she told him as they got back to their room.

He nodded, trying to banish the pictures from his mind for just a few hours so they could get some rest. He knew that seeing a case through fresh eyes always opened new avenues, but he just couldn't seem to shut his mind down.

But JJ knew him better than he knew himself, and he plopped a thin book onto his lap and arranged herself under the covers next to him, curling into his side as he slid down into a laying position next to her. "Read to me?" she requested, making herself comfortable on his chest.

He glanced at the book cover. "_Peter Pan_?"

"It seemed appropriate, don't you think?"

He glanced down at her smiling face and grinned back. "Did you know _Peter Pan_ was originally called _Peter Pan; or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up_? The name was eventually changed to _Peter and Wendy_, then _Peter Pan and Wendy_, then eventually just _Peter Pan_?"

But JJ could play that game too. "And until the 2003 movie, the character of Peter had always been portrayed by a woman. Not counting the Disney version or variations of _Peter Pan_, like _Hook_, of course."

Reid's smile grew. She really was the perfect woman for him. He opened his mouth to continue the game, but JJ tapped the book with her forefinger. "Read," she ordered, in an imperious tone that would have gotten Henry or Shane grounded in an instant.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, settling a more comfortably under her and beginning. "All children, except one, grow up."

**Author's Note 2: Jack's stepmother Gillian isn't just a random character, by the way. It's Gillian Foster, from _Lie to Me_. Someday, I'll let you all in on the incredible world I've created, where characters from _Criminal Minds_, _Bones, Lie to Me, _and_ NCIS_ exist in the same plane and are married with children. I have a list, complete with kids' ages and birthdates. Henry and Shane actually have an older brother, but the explanation of that backstory would have taken longer than this entire part was. That's a WIP fic all on its own.**


End file.
